The first relationship to be broken was between God and man.
In the beginning God created man and later the woman in His own image and placed them in the Garden of Eden. God provided for all their needs. We read in the Bible that out of the ground the Lord caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food. In that garden there was food and beauty that we have never seen. Both man and woman lived in harmony with one another, with all the creatures and with God.
The man was charged to care for the garden and both were allowed to eat of every tree in the garden except one, the Tree of Life. God told them that they would die if they ate of that tree. The first man and woman had free will, just like us. They had freedom of choice.
Things changed when Satan entered into the garden disguised as a serpent. He tricked the woman into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. The woman ate and gave to her husband who also ate. She believed Satan rather than God. Because of their disobedience they would both die as God had warned them. Mankind would now have to toil in order to eat because the Lord God cursed the ground for their sake. The Bible tells us that sin entered into the world through one man. Through that one act of disobedience the relationship between God and man was broken.
Since we are all descendants of the first man, Adam, we too are sinners. Adam is our federal head. We take on his nature. Because of his disobedience, we all come into this world as sinners. Through disobedience the human race continues to experience alienation from God. But God devised a plan to restore the broken relationship with mankind. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come as a man and offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. God’s plan of salvation was revealed to Abraham and others. God made many promises through His prophets who lived hundreds of years apart, that He would send One to be the Saviour of the world.
There are over three hundred prophecies recorded in the Bible which the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled. These prophecies are so specific that it’s impossible to fulfill them all without supernatural intervention.
The Lord Jesus was the only One who could meet God’s standard. He was a perfect man and became the perfect sacrifice for sin. He was humiliated, tortured and nailed to a cross for our sake. Our sins were laid upon Him in three lonely hours as He hung on the cross. He bore the punishment for sin that was due to us.
Anyone can trust in Him now and receive God’s Salvation. The Bible tells of two men who were crucified with the Lord Jesus. Both men are called malefactors (criminals). One of the malefactors who was crucified railed on Him, mocking Him and telling Him to save Himself and them too. The other rebuked the one who had railed at the Lord Jesus. He stated that they both deserved their punishment because of what they had done, but the Lord Jesus had done nothing wrong. This malefactor acknowledged his sins and prayed unto the Lord to remember him when He came into His kingdom.
That malefactor believed and he received God’s Salvation. The Lord Jesus assured him that he would be with Him in paradise. To the malefactor, God’s salvation was instantaneous. It was not a process. And so today, the moment you believe in the Lord Jesus as Saviour, you are saved. You can believe in Him now and you will be saved.
Both malefactors were in the same situation, but they ended up in different destinies because of the choices they made before they died. One chose to accept the Lord Jesus as Saviour while the other rejected Him.
In order to be forgiven, you must acknowledge your condition before God. You must admit that you are a sinner. The remedy for sin is not to work harder to please God because the Bible tells us that in our sin we cannot please God. Our righteousness is like filthy rags in His sight. God’s salvation is received by faith. It is a gift that He freely offers to any that will accept it.
The Lord Jesus came to restore the relationship that was broken when man sinned. Believe that you are a sinner and that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for your sins and you will be saved. To learn more about salvation, please listen to audio messages below. You are also welcome to our Gospel Meetings every Sunday at 6:30 to 7:30 pm. There are no collections.
